A PRICE war is raging across East Lancashire as death becomes a booming business.

Competition between funeral directors is increasingly intense as people are constantly urged to consider the cost of funerals.

In London shoppers are even being tempted into a funeral supermarket where they can hunt for a bargain coffin. But how many grieving people in East Lancashire have been left shell-shocked by a massive funeral bill after their loved ones have been laid to rest?

The cost is, in many ways, irrelevant as long as our loved ones receive a dignified send-off. But nevertheless, we launched our own investigation to probe the price of dying across the district.

We visited and inquired at numerous companies to gauge the varying costs of funerals. Few companies openly advertise their costs and as one director said, like solicitors, they are "above" doing that.

Posing as a potential customer, I asked each company what was the cost of their cheapest funeral.

Funeral directors set their own fees, but customers also have to pay a host of extras, known as disbursements. These "extras" are not set by the funeral directors and usually include cemetery or crematorium fees, press notices, opening of graves, ministers and flowers.

At Warings McKenna, in Shear Brow, Blackburn, it was £648 for the cheapest funeral. The disbursements would have bumped up the price to about £1,000.

Blackburn Funeral Services, in New Wellington Street, Mill Hill, was charging £350 for a "simple dignified funeral" which included an oak or elm coffin. Disbursements would lift the cost to about £600. For example, it currently costs £146 to use Pleasington Crematorium, while press notices can vary between £12 and £50. The quality of the coffin always dictated the funeral cost. Firms usually recommended a better quality coffin for a burial. At Helliwell's in Burnley Road, Colne, £685 was the cheapest cost. For a burial, a spokesman recommended a more ornate coffin for £740. The extras would have increased the price to about £1,000.

Shopping around for a funeral may seem a strange thing to do. In fact many of the companies seemed shocked when we asked for a look at their price list. But a spokesman at Talbot's in Whalley New Road, Blackburn, was all in favour of bargain-hunting.

He said: "If you were looking for a television you wouldn't buy one from the first shop you came across."

Their cheapest funeral was £550. Their price list included £62 for an additional limousine, £17 for a rosary at the chapel of rest and £35 for a cremation casket.

At Rosehill in Manchester Road, Burnley, the cheapest funeral was £475, or £575 with a limousine. They explained that disbursements would include £145 to use Burnley Crematorium and about another £60 for a service and use of a minister.

We spoke to many other companies, but they couldn't beat the £350 charged by Blackburn Funeral Services.

Director Stuart Mason said: "Before we set up in business we were shocked just how expensive it was to arrange a funeral, so we deliberately wanted to bring the price down.

"When a loved one dies people usually just ring the first company they come across without thinking of the price. The bereaved are in a vulnerable position. They don't think about the cost until they get the bill which is usually a big shock."

A spokeswoman for the National Association of Funeral Directors urged customers to shop around and demand to see price lists.

"All our funeral directors should clearly display their prices in the shop. If we found they were not doing that they would lose their membership," she added.

People claiming benefits can often get financial help with funeral costs from the DSS. For more details contact the local Benefits Agency office.

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